The Red Tide
by PassiveCube
Summary: Tanya is reincarnated in a parallel world rife with misery and war after denying to put faith into Being X. She finds herself thrown into a life of poverty in the Russy Empire, just before the Communist revolutionaries are able to revolt and turn the country into a Soviet state. Given magic and the knowledge to change history, Tanya struggles against both Being X and Communism.
1. Chapter 1

February 18, UNIFIED YEAR 1900,

SOMEWHERE IN RUSSY EMPIRE

* * *

The night sky blanketed the earth in a quiet darkness. The only sound in the night came from the shallow breathing of a small, insignificant creature. Atop the stairs of a decrepit and forgotten cottage, layed the innocent creature, wrapped tightly in the skinned fur of a fox. The frigid wind billowed as it stung the face of the sleeping child, turning her pale complexion rosy pink. Time moved forward slowly and indifferent to the child, allowing a bone-chilling bitter cold to gradually seep through the shiny fur that engulfed the child. The child's chest rose and fell slowly allowing its breath to manifest into a foggy mist before dissipating. Though as time marched on, the child's breathing began to grow slower and more shallow as if the cold was pulling the very life from her.

The sound of a door creaking open, followed by a gasp and the clacking of shoes on the rotted wooden porch awakened the child. It's dulled silver eyes gazed upwards into the night sky, only to be met with the bitter cold of the new world she found herself in. The child felt itself lift into the sky as a woman wrapped her arms tightly around the child, holding it close to her chest. As the woman entered the building she mumbled something inaudible before sitting down on an old wooden chair. A comfortable warmth slowly surrounded the child as its body was enraptured by the heat of a nearby fire, bathing the child in a pleasing orange glow. Slowly the woman holding the child rocked back and forth, clutching the child tightly. The child's breathing grew more regular with each passing moment. Gradually the child's eyes slid closed, once again blocking the world out, leaving only the crackling of the fire to fill the silence that lingered in the cottage.

Almost begrudgingly, the child's eyes blinked open, revealing a blurry, incomprehensible mess. Blinking a few more times, the image began to sharpen and shape. The wooden walls of the building had seen better days and were weathered down, with each one holding several shelves nailed to it. Each shelf was holding either rusted tools or dirtied jars of what looked like some paste that tried to pass itself off as food. A rickety wooden table sat in front of the child; it's boards held together by hastily hammered in rusty iron nails. Not noticing until now, the child felt the calloused hands of a woman holding her as she rocked back and forth. The soft cloth around her body provided her with a comfortable warmth while the frosty air nipped her nose.

In a futile attempt to move its limbs to escape from the woman's hold, the child managed to get the attention of the woman holding it.

"My dear Tanya, you're awake."

Looking upwards, the child could see the woman's face, now weathered by age and covered in wrinkles. Her smile creaked upward as if it was a rare commodity to have something to smile about in this world. The child peered into the dim brown eyes of the woman.

Where am I? Who are you?

In a rare moment of clarity, the child began to grasp its surroundings, if only for a moment. Yet, like a forgotten dream, the memory drifted off into the child's subconscious, and the child began to wail. A feeling of shame bubbled up from somewhere deep within the child's mind, but the ability to comprehend the emotion was not currently present within the child, and the feeling was buried deep within the child's mind.

The woman frowned and pushed a bowl towards the center of the table. She grasped the wooden spoon lying within the bowl and spooned out a bit of the mush.

"Open up, dear, won't you please open up?"

July 25, UNIFIED YEAR 1905,

SOMEWHERE IN RUSSY EMPIRE

* * *

I shifted myself to a more comfortable position on the ground, pushing my hair to the side of my head. It seemed like my mind was blank as I stared up at the rolling clouds in the sky. The clouds drifted across the sky slowly as the birds glided through the air, singing to one another. I've grown quite accustomed to this kind of living, the almost carefree life that a child leads, free from responsibility and strife. Though, I've never been the kind of person to accept my reality for what it is. Complacency is a corruption, a disease that takes hold and slowly spreads out across your body. I know there's a better life out there for me, a job that suits my tastes, I just need to be willing to take it, and to do that I need to get out of this place.

As I stared into the sky my thoughts drifted in my mind, just as the clouds did before me. Five years, that's how long it's been since Being X forced me into this tiny body. It's a far cry from my previous body. It almost disgusted me to compare myself with my last life. I was once a somewhat intimidating figure, by no means was I built with rippling muscles or the menacing face of a criminal, but I had a rather large frame and, when prompted, could put on a rather good act of intimidation to fool others. To compare that to the tiny body of a child frustrates me to no end.

I guess I'm still intimidating for other reasons. Not many people know of a five-year-old that has the personality of a middle-aged salaryman. The other children don't get along with me, they think I'm weird because I never want to play with them. I've got no reason to do so, what benefits does playing give me in life. Nothing is the conclusion I've come to. I've overheard others speak about my eyes as well; apparently, they find my eyes sharp and unladylike, just another lovely feature granted to me by Being X I guess. Though I shouldn't be too mad, they have served me well by keeping the other children away.

Suddenly, the distant calling of an old woman pierced the calm of the moment and shook me from my thoughts. She seemed to strain her already withered voice. Sighing, I stood from the ground and brushed myself off, making my way over to the woman. As I walked closer, the incomprehensible yelling began to make sense, as the woman's shrill voice pierced my ears.

"Tanya! Tanya dear, it's time for supper."

I raised my hand in the air and shook it to let the woman know I had heard her. After a moment, the woman realized I had heard her and turned to shuffle back inside the decrepit cottage.

Tanya, the name I was given by the woman, or at least she's who I assume gave me this name. I don't particularly hate the name, from what I know it's a derivative of the name Tatiana, that originated from the Russia in my world. Meaning I have to be somewhere in this world's version of my Russia, or at least another Slavic country.

I stepped up to the cottage, the wood beneath my feet bent under my footsteps, creaking as my heel struck. Taking a deep breath before pushing the door open, I stepped in and saw the same sight as every other day. The woman, head of the orphanage dare I call it that, was serving whatever mush she had managed to scrape together in equal parts to each of the children sitting at the table. In total, there are six children here including me. Though, I'm currently the youngest.

Sitting down, I swung my legs under the table and grabbed an empty bowl, holding it out for the woman to fill with the mush. As she finished filling the bowl a quarter of the way full, I pulled the bowl back and began eating. It was some potatoes and vegetables all pressed together to make a stew. The woman didn't have enough money to afford to flavor the food she grew from the garden out back, so it tasted as bland as it did yesterday. I've started imagining the taste now. It didn't help that the little money she made from her serfdom was spent on either preparing for winter or patching up our clothes. Standing up from the table, I pushed past a few of the kids and made my way back outside.

May 20, UNIFIED YEAR 1906,

SOMEWHERE IN RUSSY EMPIRE

* * *

The room smelled of chemicals and sweat. Inside several soldiers paced about in heavy clothing, jotting down notes as they examined the other children with bland looks on their faces. The children sat on old wooden chairs lined along the wall, next to a machine sitting on a table. The device was a box with several gauges that swung wildly when activated and a few bulbs on the machine that would spark a dim blue color. Attached by a thick cord was what looked like a metal helmet with several glass protrusions.

I stepped into the room as a soldier placed his hand on my shoulder and led me to the corner of the room. His hand encompassed my whole shoulder, and he pushed me around like I was a doll. It was another cruel reminder of the body Being X had graciously bestowed upon me. It didn't help that the food here could barely support my health much less, provide me the necessary nutrients to grow a healthy body. At this point in life, I was a six-year-old girl but still looked rather small and malnourished, compared to my old body I'm in a prison.

The soldier guided me to a chair, or more accurately, he pushed me into a chair with ease, causing a small gasp to escape my lips. Rubbing the back of his neck with one hand, he pulled out a pack of cigarettes with his other before speaking to the other soldiers.

"That's the last of 'em. I'm going on break."

With that, the other soldiers nodded, and he walked out of the room, lighting a cigarette.

I always thought it was annoying how the soldiers treat us, but to them, we're nothing special so I can't be too peeved. On the bright side, I didn't have to breathe in second-hand smoke from the soldier's cigarette.

Once the other kids were done with the test I was asked to move to the machine. I sprang from my chair in the corner of the room and walked to a seat next to the machine. The soldier jotted down a few things on his form, before grabbing the helmet and placing it roughly on my head, clasping a chinstrap tightly into place to secure the headpiece. He flipped a few switches on the machine and looked at me.

"Alright…" Looking down at the sheet he checked my name, "Tanya, I'm going to need you to do exactly what we tell you, alright?"

I nodded my head slowly. From what I've heard, the soldiers were going around to each of the orphanages and homeless shelters looking for more magically capable citizens. It's a critically manned field in the army, and apparently magic is quite a rare thing to find in a person. What this tells me is that Being X transported me into a parallel world, one with magic, and with that, it means unpredictability. If the world has magic, what else does Being X have in store for me?

The soldier held a wooden ball in his hand, balancing it on his palm, "Alright, when I turn this last switch, I'm going to need you to focus as much as you can and try to lift this ball. All you need to do is concentrate real hard."

With a curt nod of my head, the man flipped the switch. A sudden surge of tension washed over my body, causing my muscles to seize up and shake slightly. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the lights on the machine flash on and bathe the room in a bright turquoise blue. The machine seemed to have unlocked or at least made it easier for me to access any magical ability I might have.

The other soldiers in the room looked startled as the light flickered on, each looking at each other than me. The soldier with the ball curled his lips upwards into a smile as he looked at the light. Turning back to me, he stared intently into my eyes.

"C'mon, you got this, just focus on the ball."

With all my energy, I focused on lifting the wooden ball. To my surprise, the ball shot into the air with relative ease and began hovering a few feet above the man's hand. My attention on the ball broke when I heard an audible gasp from the soldier that had previously left the room. Looking over I saw his cigarette fall from his hand only to be caught by some invisible force before hitting the ground. The cigarette floated in the air, bobbing slightly.

"What the hell!"

After looking around the room, I saw that almost anything small and not nailed down was suspended several feet in the air, floating as if in zero gravity. The soldier in front of me began furiously writing down on his notepad in excitement as a smile began to stretch across his face. The other soldiers stared in disbelief until the machine was flipped off, causing all of the items to crash to the ground.

Sitting there as the soldiers removed my headgear, I thought to myself, I guess this body isn't all that bad.

November 17, UNIFIED YEAR 1906,

SOMEWHERE IN THE RUSSY EMPIRE

* * *

The icy wind billowed stinging my face, causing my cheeks and nose to turn a fleshy pink. The heavily falling snow blanketed the city in a white blanket of virgin snow and blocked my vision. The coat I was bundled up in insulated just enough heat to keep me from shivering. One of the only problems was that my hair whipped around in the wind, and repeatedly got caught on my face. My hands felt like they were burning from holding onto the freezing steel on my rifle, though I couldn't let it bother me. It was important to display excellent military discipline, especially when in the presence of someone this important.

The noble speaking was Alexander Serebryakov, a Baron, and prominent member of the Russy Empire's aristocratic class. He's a hereditary noble from what I know, meaning he's a rare and powerful breed of the aristocracy.

From what I know, we are on a trip to Moskva to meet with some of the Tsar's advisors on how to combat the communist movement that's currently gaining momentum among the disheveled peasants. It seems that the peasants have gotten tired of serfdom and food shortages, not that I blame them. I would have most likely been doomed to that lifestyle if I hadn't joined the Imperial Mage Service. Too bad I had to come in on the enlisted side though, officers have a much less cold job.

Finishing up, Alexander began walking back to the carriage door before stepping in. From within the carriage, I heard him call to me, "Tanya, get in. It shouldn't be long now."

Snapping to attention, I turned sharply to the door, in a rehearsed facing movement, knocking the snow off of my boots before stepping in. The inside of the carriage was freshly painted in a crimson red with black cushioning on the seats. The lining of the cart was gold and silver; it was a luxury almost no one but a noble could afford. Alexander also had the family crest carved onto the door of the carriage.

What was odd about Alexander is, how he called me by my first name. It was rather odd to be referred to as my rank or last name, only to be called Tanya by my superior. I guess it was just Alexander's way of management.

Sitting down, I set the butt of my rifle on the floor, creating a thud while keeping my hand on the weapon. Silently I stared forward, bouncing as the carriage rocked back and forth on the snow. Glad to be out of the cold, I took a deep breath and placed a hand in my pocket. One thing that bothered me was how reluctant Alexander was to travel with a proper escort. I understood that he wanted to appear to be one with the people or something along those lines but, with only two guards I hesitate to think about what could happen if one of us slipped up. In a worst-case scenario, I could die or my career in the armed forces would be over. In my opinion, the opportunity to appease the masses was over and that the vain attempt to appear normal to the peasants was a pitiful attempt at best.

Out of the corner of my eye, the girl sitting next to me began fiddling with her hair. It looked like she was attempting to stare at me without me noticing, which just made it seem even creepier.

"Hey, Tanya…do you ever get cold?"

Turning my head slightly to the left, I could see the noble's daughter, Viktoriya Serebryakov. She looked just like her dad, inheriting his brown hair and blue eyes. Although her face is more round than his, I've been told it's from her mother, although I've heard she passed away early in Viktoriya's life, so I've never met her. Viktoriya's about three years older than me, although she's larger on account of being able to afford to eat food. The coat she wore was made of arctic fox, a rare commodity that spoke to the amount of wealth her family had.

Sighing, I shook my head, "No, I'm fine."

"Okay… do you get bored?"

Raising an eyebrow, I looked over to her once again. To think that people believe I'm similar to her due to our age. She's still a child, and to be honest, I've never liked dealing with children. It saps my patience, so needless to say, being her escort has pained me to no end.

"No, I just do my job."

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Alexander place a hand on Viktoriya's leg, "Darling, let's leave Tanya alone."

As Viktoriya looked up at her father then back down to the ground, I could see the sadness cloud her eyes. Sometimes I feel I'm too hard on her, she doesn't have many friends due to her status, and she doesn't get along well with the other noble girls. From what I've seen she's more of a tomboy. I'm the only girl relatively close to her age that she interacts with daily, so she thinks of me as a friend. Perhaps it would be better for my career if I treated her better or at least less cold. It is always good to have friends in high places.

"Yes, father."

The disappointment and sadness in Viktoriya's voice as she spoke reminded me of the staff I would fire at my old job.

"With all due respect, sir, I don't mind it. Perhaps it'd make the trip go by faster."

Alexander nodded before eyeing me inquisitively, "Very well."

Smiling, Viktoriya turned to face me and began babbling about whatever had caught her interest. Luckily for me, I've learned from a lifetime of meetings how to drown out idle chatter.

…

Viktoriya managed to talk my ear off for several hours before the carriage stopped abruptly, throwing us forward in our seats. We could hear the driver and the guard talk to one another for a moment before the guard posted up front yelled out, "Hey get off the road!"

Immediately after two loud bangs rang out from outside the carriage, following the sounds, something large fell on the ground next to the wagon with a thud. A tense silence began to settle within the air as we all listened for whatever was outside. Silently I stood up and grabbed my rifle in both hands, motioning with my hand for Alexander and Viktoriya to get on the floor of the carriage.

The two hesitated before moving to crouch on the floor. Alexander pulled a pistol out from within his coat pocket and pointed it towards the door as Viktoriya crawled underneath the seat and hid beneath her fur coat. From beneath her coat, I could just see two eyes peeking out from under it, staring intently at me. I made sure to give Viktoriya a reassuring smile before grabbing the door of the carriage. A moment before I flung the door open I cast a passive magic shell that would block any incoming fire for a short amount of time. I'd have to be careful though, a strong enough caliber bullet could pierce the shell if I wasn't actively prepared to block it.

I swung the door open, causing it to crash against the side of the carriage. I was greeted by an intense snowfall that limited my vision to roughly ten feet in front of me. The swirling cold stung my face and caused me to raise my hand to block it. The snow crunched under my feet as I stepped down from the carriage. I closed the door behind me and braced myself against the wall of the carriage. I held my rifle tightly and began inching along the wall, halting just before I managed to reach the edge of the carriage wall. Taking a deep breath, I stabilized my aim and swung my rifle around the side of the carriage and pointed it up towards the carriage driver seat. I was surprised for a moment as I saw the driver was slumped over, his head resting on his shoulder as a bullet hole in his head leaked blood down the side of his face. While the other guard that was stationed next to him was lying on the ground, his blood pooling around his neck, staining the snow a crimson red.

Shifting back to cover behind the carriage, I took a deep breath. This is an ambush and most likely from the communists or some other fringe fanatical group. If that's the case, I can expect mainly civilians with inferior quality ammunition and makeshift weapons, nothing I couldn't take on with my computation jewel hell I probably didn't even need magic, but while protecting two other people, that's another story. One stray bullet could end their lives. I could either move to get the two out of here on foot or deal with the rebels and risk a firefight, hoping the two don't get killed in the crossfire. Both being dangerous but, the cold could kill us before we would reach somewhere safe on foot, or we could wait here, and there's a chance that the nobles are assassinated, meaning my career would be over and the life of comfort I dream of would be stripped away from me.

My concentration broke as the horse that was previously drawing the carriage began whinnying and pounding its feet on the snow. Shortly after, the sound of snow crunching shocked me back to reality. Several shots hit the edge of the carriage, causing wood chips to explode into the air. Slowly, I peeked around the side of the cart once the firing had stopped, suddenly a bullet passed by my face, grazing my hair before embedding itself into the snow behind me. Pressing myself back to the cart, I could hear more bullets hitting the edge of the cart. After the barrage was over, the number of bullets fired was five. Five shots before their reload. Five shots before their death. Another barrage of shots hit the wooden wall and on the fifth bullet impact, I swung my rifle and stabilized it on the carriage, aiming towards the figure firing.

While the snow had blocked out my vision partially I could see the shining from the sun reflecting off the steel on the man's rifle. With two shots I saw the shadowy figure stumble backward before collapsing on the ground. From beside me, I saw two blurry figures come out of the woods yelling as they ran towards me. An attempt at flanking, not too bad it seemed the man I had just killed was meant to draw my fire as the other two rushed me.

Gripping my rifle, I used my computation jewel to fly straight at one of the figures, utilizing an inhuman burst of speed, I thrust my bayonet out once I got close enough. I slammed into the figure with my shoulder and pushed the blade into its chest until the hilt of the blade buckled against the figure's sternum. The force pushed the man off his feet and into the ground with a crash. As I twisted the bayonet the man writhed in pain. Looking down into the figure's face, I could see it was a peasant, his face was caked with dirt and snow and twisted in pain. He looked back up at me and weakly grabbed my weapon, trying to wrestle me off of him. With a pull of the trigger, the man's chest spasmed before going limp, spraying my coat with his blood. He looked up at me for a moment before the light in his eyes began to fade slowly.

A bullet exploded up against my magical passive shell, causing me to jump slightly. Withdrawing my weapon from the man's chest, I flew towards the second figure as several bullets exploded against my shell. I closed the distance between me and the man quickly, just as he turned and began running through the snow back towards the forest. As quickly as he had turned to flee, I had caught up to him and sliced the back of his neck with my bayonet, continuing to fly by as the man's body collapsed to the ground. He grabbed his neck and writhed on the ground, attempting to staunch the bleeding from his neck.

From the woods, I could hear more voices yelling over one another as bullets began striking my shell. Quickly I darted back to the carriage, pressing myself against its side, breathing heavily. I grabbed my computation jewel and flew into the air. Suspended above the carriage, I hoped to take the fire off from the nobles and onto what seemed like an obvious target. Although I knew the relatively low-grade ammunition they most likely used would take an eternity to pierce my magical shell, especially if I were to maintain it actively. It'd also give me a chance to see where the enemy was.

Just as I expected, the enemy switched their fire onto me, their ammunition exploding just before hitting me. I floated there for a moment scoping out where the fire was coming from before settling on an area only about twenty feet from me where the enemy was grouped. They were each huddled next to a tree. Grabbing my computation jewel I channeled my magical energy and raised my rifle, aiming it at the group of peasants.

Several large and intricate magical circles appeared in front of my rifle, spinning almost as if they were gears. The circles bathed me in a green light moments before I fired.

The explosion from the artillery shot lit up the area in a brilliant orange warmth as the explosive shockwave rocked the surrounding area. The shockwave blew me backward and launched debris high into the air. The billowing explosion faded away leaving behind a crater in the ground and smoke drifting up into the air.

After all was done, the resulting silence that filled the forest was deafening as if all life had halted for a moment to comprehend what had just happened. A smile etched itself on my face as I wiped the sweat from my brow. Slowly I descended from the air, landing softly on the snow outside the carriage door. Looking at the damage done, it seemed the front of the carriage was shot apart, although the center was relatively left as it was. Stepping up to the carriage door, I knocked, "It's Private First Class Degurechaff, sir."

I took the silence as permission to enter and opened the door slowly. Inside, Alexander had Viktoriya wrapped in his arms, protecting her with his body. In his shaking hand, a pistol pointed at my head. Slowly he lowered the gun to his side and gripped tightly onto Viktoriya, mumbling condolences to her. I could hear the girl crying into her father's shoulder as she pulled herself closer to him.

I decided to leave and close the door to let the two have some alone time. I guess not everyone is geared to handle combat. Honestly, sometimes it stresses me out too though, I try not to think about it very often, in the end, all I'm doing is my job. What matters is that I did my job well and made myself a more valuable resource today, which means in a few short hours, I'll have a comfortable bed inside the Tsar's palace with all the food I could eat.

I climbed up to the front of the carriage next to the corpse of the previous driver. Pushing him off the seat, I watched his corpse flop to the ground face first with a dull crack. Grabbing the reins of the carriage, I began guiding the horse forward.

. . .

The carriage lurched upwards as its wheels struck the cobbled roads, making the carriage bounce as it was pulled. It seemed that the snowstorm had yet to hit the city because there was relatively little snow on the ground. The city was an unfamiliar sight to me mostly although I had several other recruits reminisce about it during my time in boot camp. From what I've heard the food here is to die for, so perhaps I'll make an effort to explore the city. The main attraction of the city was my destination though, the Grand Kremlin Palace, the home of the Tsar. Or at least one of his many homes was just a few minutes away.

I pulled up to the front of the building and hopped down from the carriage, walking slowly to the side of the cart. Carefully I opened the door and stood to the side of it, holding it open for Alexander. After a moment, Alexander stepped out of the carriage and brushed his coat off before holding his hand out towards the door. Viktoriya silently grabbed his hand and stepped down from the carriage with his help. Closing the door behind them, I stood at attention before addressing Alexander, "Sir, would you like me to take care of the carriage."

Looking back at the carriage he smirked, "I don't think there's much left of it to take care of is there. I'll have a servant fetch me a new one." Grabbing Viktoriya's hand he began walking towards the Kremlin, "Tanya please accompany us."

Without missing a beat I began walking a respectable distance behind the two, "Yes sir."

The inside of the Kremlin was beautiful with white walls ordained with gold trimmings and ornate paintings along the walls. Grand crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, illuminating the halls with a comfortable orange glow. Well dressed servants rushed from room to room, cleaning and preparing for incoming guests. The door leading to the meeting room was a large wooden door with complex patterns carved into its glossy surface.

Alexander pushed the door open and stepped into the debate room, where he was met with several other nobles already speaking to one another around a table, with two of the Tsar's advisors sitting down, listening to the conversation. As they heard Alexander's footsteps, the conversation shifted to the nobles all greeting one another. The inside of the room looked the same as the rest of the Kremlin, although, inside the room were several tables set up with snacks and fancy alcohol. Several guards stood by each door, holding onto their rifles tightly. A few servants also rushed between tables cleaning and refilling glasses.

Viktoriya and I walked up behind Alexander, causing the nobles to shift their gaze to us, "Ah Alexander, you brought Viktoriya and… "

Looking back at us for a moment, Alexander nodded, "And Private First Class Degurechaff. She was my escort on the trip here."

The nobles nodded and paid me no attention, shifting their focus back to Alexander, "And how was your trip."

Alexander shifted slightly before speaking hesitantly, "It was… eventful. The communists have stepped up and become more violent. They attacked my carriage. If Tan- Private Degurechaff hadn't been there I don't know what would have happened."

With the mention of the communists, the mood within the room grew noticeably tense with each of the nobles exchanging knowing glances at one another. One of the advisors cleared his throat, "I had wished to avoid this topic before the rest of the nobles arrived. We are continuing the conversation in a few hours if you'd like to settle into your room Alexander."

Nodding, Alexander took a seat, "Of course, I'll avoid the topic until then, Private Degurechaff please take Viktoriya to her room. A servant will show you the way."

With that, a servant walked over from the table, "Please, follow me." He began walking out of the room, with us trailing behind him. A few minutes later, we arrived in a room with two queen-sized beds in it, with several wardrobes and end tables beside the beds. The walls were similarly decorated to the rest of the Kremlin although, there was a large closet inside with a large assortment of dresses. The servant smiled to Viktoriya and I before speaking, "The gracious Tsar had another bed moved to the room, at the request of Sir Serebryakov. Please feel free to relax and explore the palace until sir Alexander concludes his business." With that the servant smiled and closed the door, leaving Viktoriya and I alone.

Walking over to the end table I slipped my gloves off and placed my hat down, sighing I slid my hand through my hair. I guess it's just another day done for the most part. All I gotta do now is walk around the palace with Viktoriya for a few hours before she heads off to bed. All things considered, this isn't too bad of a job. Relatively low danger and in a way I'm living better than I did in Japan, the luxury of living with nobles is not lost on me. Good food, servants, and a warm bed. I mean the most annoying thing I have to deal with is Viktoriya's incessant questioning. Although I guess without her I could be out of a job and stationed on some training base somewhere in Siberia so perhaps she's due some thanks.

Looking over I could see Viktoriya flopped down on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. As she sat up in bed supporting herself with her arms, she spoke in a soft voice, "I hate when dad has to do business like this. He never spends time with me anymore."

I turned back to the end table and shook my head, "Sir Serebryakov is a busy man, he's doing important work."

Viktoriya scoffed, "Is business all you think about? He's my father, he should spend more

time with his daughter."

Biting my lip I stared down at my hat, trying to think of what to say. If I ended up angering Viktoriya then perhaps Alexander would have me replaced, on the other hand, I can't badmouth my employer, if Viktoriya were to bring that up in front of him I could kiss more than just my career goodbye, "Viktoriya we're friends right?"

Glancing over I could see Viktoriya hesitate for a moment as thoughts raced through her head. Viktoriya is a rather lonely girl from what I've seen and I heard from her father that after her mother passed away, she became rather isolated, really only speaking to her father. I may be the only other person she considers a friend, and that's something I can use.

A smile began to bubble up on her face before she stifled it, "Yes…"

"Then trust me, your father is doing his best to spend time with you."

Viktoriya sighed and laid back down on the bed, "I guess you're right."

…

I stood at attention beside Alexander as he took his seat at the table. Viktoriya sat just beside him, staring blankly forward. The other nobles chatted amongst themselves as they filed into the room and took their seats. Servants passed around wine and food, which would be a delicacy to the others. The smell of smoke permeated the air, seeping into my lungs as nobles smoked their pipes and cigarettes. After a few minutes when everyone had sat down, the Tsar's advisors stood up and clinked their glasses, signaling for the group to get quiet.

"Gentleman, gentlemen please quiet yourselves. As you all know we were gathered here by the mighty Tsar to discuss the parasite of communism that is currently plaguing the nation."

With that, the room settled down into a dull murmur between the guests. The Advisor continued on with his speech, "Although in the short amount of time you have been here I have gotten word that in Vesvogradski there is a mounting protest at the Winter Palace." The man frowned and took a deep breath, "Hence, it seems the Tsar has decided to send in the Imperial army to deal with the revolt."

The announcement caused the crowd of nobles to erupt into a wave of shouting and bickering amongst one another. Each one either proposing a different solution to the problem or blindly supporting the decision of the Tsar. Alexander sat back in his chair and sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. "Tanya take Viktoriya back to the room, this is going nowhere fast. I'll contact you with our decision after this mess is done."

I nodded before heading off, waving for Viktoriya to follow me.

…

A knock came on the door after about four hours, after we left the meeting. Before I opened it, I signaled Viktoriya that her father had come. Standing in the doorway was Alexander, with a heavy look on his face. He walked in without a word and leaned on the closest wardrobe to the door. "It seems the situation in Vesvogradski is rather dire at the moment, and they need all the help they can get. The Tsar has asked us nobles to contribute whatever we can to help in the battle against the Communist and Communist Sympathisers." He stood back up from the wardrobe and sighed, "As such, it would look disrespectful to the Tsar if I offered anything but my best support, so I have decided to send you Tanya."

"I..." Words seemed to escape me for the moment, I was removed from my position as Viktoriya and Alexander's bodyguard and moved to deal with a revolt in Vesvogradski. If I know anything about Russian history, this is a terrible idea. This is exactly what Tsar Nicholas II tried and it backfired dramatically in his face, causing him to abdicate the title of Tsar.

Alexander continued, "You will be leaving tonight, and you will be placed under the command of General Khabalov, I expect great things from you."

Suddenly Viktoriya spoke up from the back of the room, "Father you can't! Tanya's my friend."

Sighing Alexander responded, "Vik-"

"No!" Viktoriya stomped her foot as she yelled, "First you never spend time with me and then you take away my friend, what kind of father are you!"

"I…" Alexander rubbed the back of his neck lost for words, "I'm sorry."

"No, you're not! You don't care how I feel." Viktoriya spoke in a dejected voice as her eyes began to water.

Taking the cue that this was about more than just me I walked out of the room and closed the door, standing across the hall, leaning on the wall.

An hour passed before Alexander exited from the room, closing it cautiously behind him. "Tanya, it seems you mean a lot to my daughter, but I can't keep you here it wouldn't be a good political move on my part. So, Viktoriya and I have decided we'll see you off and travel with you to Vesvogradski."

I stood upward and nodded, "Of course sir, whatever you think is best."

Alexander started walking off before stopping and looking back at me, "Tanya, this is off the record but you do really mean a lot to Viktoriya, don't do anything that would hurt her. Understood?"

Gulping I nodded, "Of course sir. Have a nice night."

With that, he was off and I was left to my thoughts.


	2. Chapter 2

November 18, UNIFIED YEAR 1906,

VESVOGRADSKI

* * *

I grabbed the mug from the waitress with both hands, "Thank you, ma'am." The woman smiled back at me before quickly heading off to the other passenger car. As she closed the door, I sat back and stared down into my mug of coffee. The black liquid rippled against the walls of the mug as the train chugged onwards towards the city of Vesvogradski. The steam from the coffee drifted upward, carrying the delightful smell of the freshly brewed cup. This was a delicacy I've learned to not take for granted.

Viktoriya sat beside me and stared at the mug, curiously, "Is that any good?"

Glancing over I gave a curt nod, "There are not many things better than a good cup of coffee."

Viktoriya shifted in her seat before holding out her hand, "Can I try some?"

"I… uh…" Glancing over to Alexander, who was sitting across from us, and back at Viktoriya, I nodded, handing the mug over to her. It's such a shame to waste a cup of coffee on someone who can't appreciate it.

Carefully she lifted the cup to her mouth and took a sip of the coffee. As soon as the liquid hit her lips, her face scrunched up bitterly. Slowly she gave the cup back to me, "It's a little bitter."

I took back the mug and smirked, "It's an acquired taste. Although this coffee isn't necessarily too good. If someone could make me a perfect cup of coffee, I'd be in their debt." Sighing, I took a sip of the coffee. It seemed Viktoriya was right about the coffee, it was particularly bitter, but that's never stopped me from enjoying it before. I let the flavors cover my tongue and bathe my taste buds in the rare flavor. Truly a magical drink.

Viktoriya sat back in her seat deep in thought before speaking up, "I could do that."

I finished off another sip of coffee before speaking quietly, "That'd be good." Peeking back at Viktoriya, I could see a smile spread across her face in response to my throwaway comment.

Alexander looked up from his book and peered out of the window, "We're only a few minutes away from the city, and I've been asked to introduce you to General Khabalovas, as he's still questioning your ability. As promised, Viktoriya and I will see you off and depart from the palace after the meeting with the General."

"Of course, sir, I look forward to meeting with the general." With that, I sat back in my seat and began drinking the rest of my coffee as Viktoriya yammered on about something she saw outside the window of the train. My cup consumed all of my attention and thoughts, I mean I might as well enjoy the peace of the moment.

The walk from the station to the palace was relatively uneventful. Upon reaching the front gates of the palace, Alexander waved us past the front guards, allowing us to enter into the palace. Once we entered the mansion, I was awed by the sheer extravagance of the building. Similarly to the Grand Kremlin Palace, the walls of the building were decorated with intricate carvings and adorned with priceless artwork. Its walls were lined with gold, and each room was filled with exquisite antiques, showing off the insurmountable wealth of the Tsar. I'd expect nothing less from the home of the Tsar himself.

As we walked down the hall, we were greeted with soldiers and servants bustling about the palace, none of which paid us any attention. It looked as though the soldiers were preparing for war, stockpiling weapons and ammunition while barricading the windows and doors. Finally, we reached the interior courtyard and made our way to the center.

The central courtyard was a large clearing with cobblestone pathways that lead from each of the four entrances to the center of the yard where an ornate fountain stood. It was made of marble rock that glistened beautifully. It was surrounded by rather large trees that were covered in a blanket of snow. What would have been beautiful scenery was ruined by the clamoring of soldiers. Which created an otherwise tense atmosphere among the courtyard.

As we approached the fountain, General Khabalov came into view. The man sported a thick handlebar mustache that covered his upper lip and extended past his cheeks. His uniform was neatly pressed, and the many medals hanging from his chest shone brightly in the sun. A large black, fuzzy hat adorned his head while a scabbard hung from his hip. If the man hadn't held such rank, I would have found the whole ensemble laughable, especially when taking into account the practicality of the uniform. He was speaking to another man whose back was turned towards us.

Alexander slowly walked towards the two. Upon noticing we had arrived at the palace, the General said something inaudible to the man beside him before walking towards us, holding out a wrinkled hand, "Greetings Mr. Serebryakov, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Alexander returned the General's handshake and flashed a smile, "Of course, it's a pleasure to meet you as well. I hope all is going well."

The General looked Alexander up and down for a moment, "We have things under control. Aside from that, I'm honored you could make it today. I hope the journey wasn't too out of the way."

"Oh no, the trip was rather nice; it felt rather relaxing, actually."

The General smiled, "Good, good." Looking past Alexander, the General stared at Viktoryia and me, "You've brought your daughter and… Private First Class Degurechaff, is it?"

Straightening my posture and clasping my hands to my side, I stood at attention before addressing the General, "Yes, sir."

The General shifted his focus to Viktoryia for a moment, "I didn't expect you to bring your daughter. If it's not too personal, may I inquire about the reason?"

Alexander shrugged slightly, "She wished to see Private Degurechaff off, it seems they've befriended one another." He scratched the back of his neck, "Though I'll admit I wasn't thrilled about bringing Viktoryia here considering the situation."

The General nodded, "I see, too good of a father, I suppose. Though not out of the question for the two of them to grow attached, they are relatively similar."

Gritting my teeth, I stood in silence. Just what I needed, the General, a leading figure in both politics and war strategy to think I was similar to a pampered nine-year-old girl rather than a capable asset. It seems first impressions aren't my strong suit.

The General clasped his hand together, "Though I haven't set up a welcoming party for the three of you, perhaps some of my soldiers could make you feel at home." Pointing to one of the doors leading out of the courtyard, the General spoke in a quiet voice, "We have a safe house a few doors down, you're free to use it."

Alexander shook his head, "Oh no, we don't plan on staying much longer. I just wished to introduce the two of you. Before heading off."

Frowning, the General shook his head, "I wouldn't head out anytime soon. The communists and socialists have been staging protests throughout the city. We've been getting reports just recently of violent attacks on soldiers." Sighing, he continued in a somber voice, "Honestly, it's a miracle you made it here without an incident, they must not have known you were royalty."

Alexander shook his head in disbelief, "I see, so they've become more bold than usual. They're confident."

"Sadly, yes, they've staged strikes throughout the city as well as staging protests against the Tsar and the current famine that's plaguing the country."

Looking down at Viktoryia, Alexander grabbed her hand before bringing his attention back to the General, "I've never been one for battle General, so I'll leave this up to you. If you have a few soldiers to spare, I'd be grateful for the protection."

"Of course, there are a few guards beyond the doors that can show you to the safe room, they'll stand guard until we have the protests stopped."

As Alexander and Viktoryia began walking off, the General spoke as he turned around to walk back to the fountain, "Please follow me Private."

We both arrived at the fountain only to be greeted by the man that was standing there previously. Looking up from his notebook, I saw that it was the leader of the Russy Empire, Tsar Nikoli II.

A fuzzy handlebar mustache covered his upper lip and merged into a well-trimmed short brown beard. His uniform was that of a military official with medals and medallions attached to his chest. Being able to actually see the Tsar, much less be near him, was like looking at a mythical being. Although I disagreed with the man's policies and questioned his competence as a leader, the power the man held, although slipping, was still massive.

The Tsar gave a broad smile and nodded to the General as we approached him, "I've read over the reports about the marches, I can say that I have complete trust in you." Setting the notebook on the fountain beside him, the Tsar addressed the General, "Though I stress that these treasonous acts must be suppressed at any cost. Is that clear?"

The General nodded before moving his hand to gesture towards me, "Don't worry, sir, the last piece of the puzzle has arrived. The rebellious traitors will be stomped out."

Flashing another smile, the Tsar turned his attention towards me, "Ah, and you must be the mage I sent for. I'll have the General let you know what your mission is."

"Ah, your highness, I almost forgot, I've had Mr. Serebryakov and his daughter sent to the safe room. If that is acceptable?"

Waving his hand, the Tsar turned to walk away, "Think nothing of it, Alexander is a friend of mine." With that, the Tsar left the courtyard.

Looking down to me, the General picked up the leather notebook resting on the fountain and handed it to me, "I'm sure you're aware of the strikes around the city but, currently there is also an organized march heading towards the palace. That notebook has details of the current marching path of the rioters, as well as several reports on the size of it."

I nodded and began flipping through the notebook. From the reports, it looked like the march consisted mainly of factory workers that were on strike, and women that had come out to celebrate national women's day. There were several other fringe groups such as the anarchists but they made up a small minority of the people. It seems that the strikes are being led by an orthodox priest simply called Father.

The general sighed and shook his head, "I've been told a majority of the soldiers have turned against us and joined the rioters. They refuse to stop the march. That's why I need you Private, with a mage on our hands, they'll think twice before marching on the palace." He paused before continuing, "I hesitate to tell you this but, without Alexander's recommendation, you would not be here, so please take a look at the plans, and don't disappoint me,"

Opening the leather cover, I read through the hastily written plans. A few minutes passed before I stood there staring at the notebook, stunned at what I had just read. The plan laid out in plain detail that we were to fire on the marchers if they were to get too close to the palace. It seemed the leadership planned on murdering countless people to achieve their suppression. I assumed this would be a possibility, but in a situation like this where you're outnumbered and without adequate support, if the protestors chose to do so, they could quickly overrun the forces.

Stifling my emotions, I looked up to the General and spoke calmly, "Sir, this can't be correct, why would you ever fire on the citizens, I'd be a slaughter. Especially in a situation as volatile as this, it would frenzy the people and turn them against us, even more so than they already are."

Though I can see the reasoning behind it, in my own timeline, the protestors that marched on the Tsar panicked and scattered after being fired upon. Yet, it seems that the communists have become far more accessible and widespread in this timeline due to a long war with the Akitsushima Dominion. The ongoing border skirmishes with them only serve to make the situation worse as a population exhausted with war will do anything to stop it.

The General looked me in the eyes and spoke coldly, "You will do what you are told, is that clear Private?"

"I…" Composing myself, I hesitantly spoke, "Yes sir, I'll do whatever is needed in the name of the Tsar."

He added. "You will report in with Lieutenant Colonel Ivanov, he will give you further instructions. He's located just outside the entrance of the palace." The General nodded at me and silently strode away, leaving the courtyard.

I shook my head as I strode out of the courtyard. This encounter could only lead to disaster, the amount of pushback against the current administration is unsustainable, and if a violent outbreak happens, I fear for what could happen to the Tsar and the rest of the aristocracy.

I opened the doors and shuffled out of the palace to meet with Lt. Col. Ivanov. Sure enough, he was standing just outside the entrance, gazing over the clearing in front of him. Walking up beside him, I cleared my throat, "Sir, Private First Class Degurechaff reporting as ordered."

The Lt. Col. glanced down to me then back at the clearing. He pointed at the clearing and spoke in a somber voice, "This here will be the death of many."

"Sir?"

"If we aren't able to keep the peace with the people here and they choose to attack well, then we have no choice but to fire."

It seemed that the officer was attempting to make peace with himself and what he was about to do. I knew that many of the officers and soldiers had defected and joined the strikers but, I didn't think it would run this deep in the system where such high ranking officers were questioning themselves.

I thought about what I had heard previously and said whatever would make me seem more loyal to the cause, "Sir, while it would be beneficial to solve this peacefully, we must do whatever is necessary."

Frowning, the Lt Col. shook his head, "Then let us hope it doesn't come to that, hopefully, you'll be able to change that." Drawing a line in the air with his finger, the Lt. Col. continued, "We're creating a line formation here to fend off the march. At best, we hope to scare them off. At worst, we have you."

I know mages are powerful but, with the current technology, even I have limits to my capabilities. If enough people engaged me or if I made one mistake, it could all be over.

The Lt. Col. continued in a monotone voice, "Honestly, I don't like the idea of sending a child into battle but, the majority of the mages have been sent to the border with the Akitsushima Dominion. It's almost a miracle that you were here."

A miracle. The very thought of that sent a shiver down my spine. I've become wary of extraordinary coincidences in my life since my meeting with that fraud Being X. It seems he could have his influence anywhere, pulling strings from the shadows.

The Lt. Col. sighed before walking off, "God help us."

. . .

The soldiers marched to the front of the palace and quickly made a two rank, line formation, facing the oncoming march. The soldiers in the first rank knelt down, while both ranks aimed their Mosins towards the oncoming protestors.

The afternoon sky was a dull grey that cast an oppressive shadow over the city. The only sound that permeated the stagnant air was the distant chants of the protestors. The bitter wind whipped at the soldier's uniforms, stinging their faces. Time seemed to move slowly as each second dragged out longer than the next. The anxiety of the soldiers grew more intense as the protesters grew louder. Mere minutes passed before the protestors finally arrived at the gates of the palace. They were all types of people. Children, factory workers, and women all shoddily armed with whatever weapon they could find in their homes. The march halted about ten feet from the soldiers.

I stood by as the protestors sang hymns and shouted obscenities towards the soldiers. The words traitor, murderer, and puppet were tossed about by the demonstrators. The protesters would test the soldiers by lurching forward, before backing off but, not one soldier fired.

Honestly, I think these protests are utterly idiotic, to feel the Tsar cared for them. To believe that this act of defiance against the aristocracy would spark anything but hatred and fear into the hearts of the nobles was the thought of an idealistic fool. To march on the Tsar's home and expect a compromise was insanity, the only way the monarchy knows how to deal with dissidents is through force. Through people like me.

The barrage of screaming from the peasants continued on for a few minutes before the crowd slowly hushed to a whisper. The eerie silence between the two groups was broken when a single man began walking through the crowd, appearing before the soldiers.

The man stepped forward towards the formation and spoke, addressing the soldiers, " My brothers, Vesvogradski is seething with excitement. All the factories, mills, and workshops have stopped working" the man began to pace back and forth, "We workers, our children, our wives, and our old, helpless parents have come, to reject the bourgeoisie."

The protestors behind him began to mumble to themselves in agreement, some shouting out they're grievances with the aristocracy.

The man continued, "We are impoverished and oppressed, unbearable work is imposed on us, we are despised and not recognized as human beings." The man walked closer to the soldiers, opening his arms to them, "You too, my brothers, have been trampled underneath the heel of the Tsar, forced to fight among your brothers in arms in this war against the bourgeoisie."

Another unnatural silence fell over the crowd as the man stood in silence, beckoning to the soldiers. As the man's words began to resonate with the soldiers, I could see that several of them began to slowly drop their rifles from the protestors. A malicious smile began to creep onto the man's face as he saw the effect he had on the soldiers.

I needed to stop this before he turned the soldiers against me. Running to the Lt. Col. I spoke quickly, "Sir, he's turning our own soldiers against us, you need to do something."

Nodding, the Lt. Col. walked forward, frowning. He raised his voice so that all could hear him, "Per the orders from the Tsar, I have been ordered to quell this rebellion." Stepping forward once more, he tightened his grip on his rifle, "It would serve you all to disperse immediately."

The man's smile widened as he stared at the Lt Col. He gestured to the man and spoke confidently, "You would dare fire on your brothers and sisters, the very people you swore to protect."

I strode beside the Lt. Col. and held my computation jewel in one hand. Floating just beside him, I activated my magic shell.

The man shifted his attention to me, "Ah, my dear, you must be the mage that the General sent for." Walking over to me, the man stood about ten feet away as to not step too close to the soldiers, "You are but a puppet of the aristocrats, a faithless heathen, a lost sheep, with no Shepard."

To be called a faithless heathen proves that the fraud of a god, Being X has been pulling this man's strings, there's no doubt of that. That devil waits until now to show his ugly face, six years he waited. He's willing to flip an entire country over to a damned failed ideology just to screw me over.

As the man spoke, his eyes flashed yellow, "I have prayed to the Lord, and he has answered my prayers." Spreading his arms up to the sky, the man spoke in a boisterous voice, "The people will be heard, my god has spoken."

Damn Being X, I won't give him the pleasure of turning my own soldiers against me. Floating forward, I gripped my rifle, aiming it squarely at the man's chest, yelling out, "Under orders from General Khabalovas, I have been tasked with dispersing you by utilizing any means necessary this is your last warning."

Honestly, part of me wants the people to confront us just so I can plant a bullet into that man's skull and show up Being X, even if it's a petty victory. Nothing else matters but being able to retire and live a comfortable life, far away from Being X and his devilish influence. For that, I'll do anything.

At the command of the Lt Col., the rest of the soldiers raised their weapons once more. The silence that had previously dominated the area had once again seeped its way into the air. Silently the man began walking forward towards the soldiers. His arms outstretched as if he was trying to welcome them into his embrace. In a quiet voice, he began speaking, "Deus lo vult."

God wills it? This man was about to spark a war between the people and the military. Being X is going to allow the slaughter of thousands of innocents to make sure I get screwed over in whatever scheme he has concocted. I'll be damned if I'll let that happen.

A moment later, one of the soldiers the man was approaching panicked and fired their weapon, shooting the man in his side. The man immediately collapsed to the ground, crying out in pain while he held onto his side. Blood began to seep through his robes, staining his hands and the snow around him crimson.

As he cried out in pain, the other civilians began to shout and scream at the soldiers, moving closer. Stepping forward, the lieutenant colonel pointed towards the crowd, attempting to shout orders over them, "Men, fire!"

Running towards the commander, I began shouting, "Stop!"

Though with the command given, the soldiers let out a volley of bullets into the approaching crowd. The barrage left behind a visceral scene of civilians collapsed to the ground, screaming as they clutched themselves, their bodies riddled with bullet holes. Some of the more unfortunate protestors who were shot at near point-blank range laid on the ground motionless as their life began to slip away slowly.

The thousands of protestors behind them began marching forward, chanting and screaming at the soldiers, calling them traitors. With the demonstrators now climbing over their dead comrades, the lieutenant colonel called out again, "Men, fire!"

I looked on in disbelief as this time, only about half of the men fired their weapons into the crowd yet, it was still met with devastating effect. The amount of carnage on the clearing had left the space between the soldiers and the protesters riddled with bodies. Their screams echoed through the city streets as those not involved in the protest looked on in horror. The ground had been stained with the blood of countless victims.

Without another second of hesitation, the protestors charged the soldiers before they could reload their rifles. The protestors clambered over their fallen brothers and sisters, and sprinted at the soldiers, throwing themselves down on them with makeshift weapons, axes, and pitchforks. Slowly I backed away as the sheer number of protestors began to overwhelm the soldiers as they hacked their way through them, the soldiers, in turn, using their bayonets to attempt to fight back.

I understand a lost fight when I see one, and I'm not going to murder innocents if it would do no use. My priority is getting myself out of this situation alive. I began running away from the carnage behind me as the mob started to finally push through the soldiers and make their way to the palace. A moment later, a sharp pain spread from my thigh through the rest of my body, causing me to trip and fall into the snow. Looking down, a bullet had embedded itself into my leg, making it a pain to move it in any direction.

Gripping my computation jewel, I floated into the air and slammed myself through the door, screaming out, "Someone barricade the door, they're getting through."

With that, several soldiers ran to the doors and windows to look outside. Their faces turned to shock and despair when they saw the ferocity which the mob outside had wrought on their brothers in arms. Opening the windows, the soldiers began to take potshots at the incoming mob while several other soldiers locked the door and began piling whatever furniture they could in front of it.

Catching my breath, I leaned against a wall before I was shaken by the sound of glass shattering. Looking out the windows, the protestors had started throwing Molotov cocktails at the building. The makeshift bombs exploded on the side of the palace, causing the spread of intense orange fire to break out and spread among the exterior of the palace. I also saw the Lt Col. standing defiantly, watching over the crowd. The man kept his composure as two peasants ran to him and began hacking at him, tearing him apart.

One of the soldiers firing out the window collapsed to the ground, smacking his head on the stone floor, causing blood to pool around his body. Looking over at him, his head had been smashed open by blunt force, potentially a thrown brick or rock.

Gathering my strength, I stepped off the wall, gritting my teeth as pain shot through my leg. Once again, I took hold of my computation jewel and lifted myself in the air, floating just above the ground. Slowly I hovered through the hallways in an attempt to save whatever mana I could.

The soldiers that had once been lounging about had kicked themselves into gear and began rushing around, firing out of the windows and barricading the doors. As I pushed my way into the central courtyard, one of the soldiers shouted out, "They're surrounding the palace!"

Flying faster now, I made my way through the courtyard and began heading to the safe room Alexander, and Viktoriya were stashed away in. As I flew through the courtyard leading to the safe room, one of the doors burst open, and a stream of protestors rushed through. Only to be met by a few soldiers firing into them. Rushing out of the courtyard, I pushed my way through one of the exits and made my way to the safe room.

Landing back on the ground, I grunted in pain. Knocking on the door, I attempted to shout over the yelling and fighting of the other soldiers, "It's Private Degurechaff open up."

Just then, several locks on the door slid, and the door busted open. Inside, Alexander was holding Viktoriya in his arms and a pistol in the other. While the Tsar was holding an old handgun in his hand. Without a moment of hesitation I yelled out, "We need to get o-"

Suddenly a sharp pain in the back of my head caused my vision to go dark as I crumpled to the floor.

My eyes snapped open as I grabbed my chest, coughing. I was greeted by a blurry bright light that blinded me for a moment before the world started to make sense again. The image sharpened, and I could see that I was staring at the wall to my side, a fire was burning the wall to cinders, filling the palace with smoke. My other senses came to me soon after, giving me an intense pain in the back of my head and a burning in my thigh. Looking down, I could see my thigh was wrapped tightly in some cloth and a belt to put pressure on it. In the background, I could hear high pitched screaming, followed by two gunshots.

Slowly I placed my hands on the ground and pushed myself up, bracing for the wave of pain about to hit me. Gritting my teeth, I managed to sit up and look around myself. The fire had spread from the front of the mansion and now had burned down a majority of what I could see. Alexander was sitting over in the corner of the room next to Viktoriya, who sat next to him, away from the fire as the Tsar stood in front of them, his pistol drawn. In front of me, a dead peasant was lying on the floor, his clothes soaked in blood. Behind me, the door out was blocked by a roaring fire meaning that the three of us were trapped in the room together.

Noticing I had awoken, Viktoriya ran over to me and grabbed me by the arm, "Tanya, are you okay?"

Nodding, I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and propped myself up, allowing her to support the majority of my weight. Seeing me, Alexander popped up, holding his side, "Tanya, you're okay. Thank god. We wrapped up your injuries, but we kept getting attacked by the rioters. Thankfully the fire cut them off, or we would have been dead."

I looked around me, how long had I been knocked out, what happened while I was unconscious.

Alexander motioned to his injury and continued half-jokingly, "One of em got me good, but I should be able to hold out."

The Tsar nodded, "We can talk later, right now we need to get out of here before the smoke gets bad and suffocates us, or the building collapses on us." Walking over to me, he placed a hand on my shoulder, "Tanya, I need you to do whatever you can to get us out of here."

I guess it couldn't be helped. Every other option of escape was cut off by the fire, and the room's windows leading to the courtyard had been barricaded with steel bars, so escape through that was not an option. I had to use whatever magic I could to get us out of here.

Nodding, I motioned for Viktoriya to hand me my rifle to which she did quickly. Limping over to the far side of the room, I used my rifle as a crutch, "Everyone get behind me. Viktoriya, please keep me steady."

With that, everyone stepped behind me, while Viktoria stood directly behind me, holding on tightly to support my weight. Grabbing onto my computation jewel for a moment, I then raised my rifle to the wall and aimed. Before doing anything, I cast a magic shell around myself and the others. Several large magical circles appeared in front of my rifle, the green light from them washed over us before I pulled the trigger, launching a modified artillery shot at the wall.

The explosion was toned down from a typical artillery shot but still rocked the room, blasting a hole in the wall that led to the inner courtyard. The shockwave from the blast pushed me back into Viktoriya, who struggled to keep me standing upwards. While the influx of the air into the room caused a backdraft which made the fire explode towards us, only to be stopped by the magic shell I previously cast.

After the shock had worn off from the blast, the Tsar headed out of the room, followed closely by the three of us, Alexander and Viktoriya, keeping me upright. From inside the inner courtyard, I felt safer, as if it was the only sanctuary within the building. The fire had driven most of the protestors out, while only a few had stayed to pick over the valuables in the palace, risking death for riches. The black smoke rose in the air, blotting out the sun from within the courtyard.

The Tsar smiled and grabbed Alexander by the sleeve, "We're going to make it out of here, there's a tunnel leading out of here, if the master bedroom isn't blocked off we can make it out."

Slowly Alexander nodded. The color seemed to drain out of his face; the more he moved about. The Tsar, leading the way, guided us through the palace, avoiding the fire while keeping his pistol aimed just in case any of the protestors had remained. Though the three of us in the back stumbled over the corpses that laid about the palace. Both soldiers and civilians alike laid dead in the palace, the smell of charred flesh permeating the air. Several times I could notice that Viktoriya purposely kept her eyes locked on the floor to avoid the sights.

Once we managed to reach the master bedroom, the Tsar kicked open the door, aiming his weapon into the room. Quickly after scanning for any potential threats, he rushed over to the bed and began pushing it to the side, revealing a staircase downwards. We each rushed down the stone staircase into a dark tunnel.

After several minutes of walking in pitch black, using our hands on the wall as a guide, We saw the light at the end of the tunnel. A pair of metal doors let the faintest amount of light into the tunnel. Slowly the Tsar unlocked the doors and pushed them open, revealing the interior of a dimly lit basement. Smiling, the Tsar stepped out, "A bit cliche but, gets the job done." Turning around, he continued, "We made it." Upon seeing the wounded Alexander, the Tsar's face turned from an expression of relief to that of despair.

As we stepped out of the tunnel, Alexander dropped to the ground holding his side. Now that I could get a better view of it, the shot had hit him in the stomach, and blood had been leaking out of him the entire way here. The color in his face had drained away, leaving behind a cold and pale man. Sitting down, I looked on as Viktoriya rushed to her father's side and began hugging him tightly as she began to sob.

Quietly Alexander placed his hand on Viktoriya's cheek and whispered something inaudible to her. Viktoriya placed her hand on his and held it to her face as the light began to drain from his eyes. Tears began to flow down Viktoriya's face as she cried out. We each sat there in silence, listening to the wails of a frightened and grieving child.


	3. Chapter 3

November 18, UNIFIED YEAR 1906,

VESVOGRADSKI

* * *

The wails of the child reverberated throughout the dark basement. My empty gaze rested on Viktoriya as she flailed her arms, hitting her father in the chest. Each strike shook her father's chest, sending blood droplets flying in the air.

Strands of light made their way through the floorboards above, illuminating Viktoriya's tearful eyes. Her voice shifted from overbearing anger to one that croaked with grief, "Please! Don't leave, stop, I won't let you! Please… ".

Laying her arms on her father she lowered her head to his chest and wept, staining her clothes with her father's blood. Slowly I crept to Viktoriya's side and knelt down beside her, placing an arm around her and rubbing her shoulder. I spoke in a hushed tone, "Viktoriya it'll be okay, I'm here for you."

Her tearful face looked up to me for a moment before she fell into me and wrapped her arms around me, as she sobbed into my shoulder. I hugged her tighter, drawing her into myself, though my eyes remained emotionless as I stared at the wall behind her. I knew if I wasn't here for her at this moment, she'd never agree to move on from her father's side, and that's not something I can let happen. In such a turbulent time, it's good to have powerful allies, especially when they are as loyal as Viktoriya.

My vision slid to the Tsar, seeing him standing there awkwardly. I could see the urgency in his posture, he was tense and his eyes darted about. It was an odd contrast from the carefree Tsar I had seen just a few minutes before. It seems that under the mask of divine right, he was just like any other man. Glancing at him knowingly, I stood up with Viktoriya, holding her still, "Lady Viktoriya, we must leave.".

She nodded at me as she wiped her tears. In a meek voice, she whispered, "We'll come back for him right?"

I created some distance between us and placed a hand on her shoulder reassuringly, "Of course I would never abandon either of you."

I could tell it was enough to get her to trust that we would, or even could recover his body although, I knew better. In the current political climate, it would be a challenge, even with the Tsar's connections. By the time we reached safety, the communist and socialists would have scuttled all over the wreckage of the palace, sniffing out any bit of leverage they could gain, like the cockroaches they were.

Leading Viktoriya to the Tsar he brightened up a bit and nodded at me, my eyes had finally adjusted to the darkness and I could see he was standing next to the rickety wooden ladder that led to the floor above. Moving carefully he stepped up the ladder, each step creating a creak that added to the tension of the moment. Though after a few seconds I grabbed onto his leg to stop him.

"Sir, I should be the one to go first. There could be anyone up there."

The Tsar shook his head, "Nonsense," he continued to climb the ladder speaking as he did so, "I know who lives here, they're trusted members of the royal court."

Biting my lip I climbed up after him, making sure to activate my shield. Each step up the ladder with my injured leg, caused me to grit my teeth, and grew my anxiety. Though in a few seconds the Tsar popped open the small door covering the ladder and moved something off from it. Slowly he stepped onto the floor and offered a hand to me. Grabbing it I climbed up and offered the same for Viktoriya.

The Tsar paced the floor for a moment speaking aloud, "It seems they're not home." Swearing under his breath he moved to a counter, with several lit candles on it. Grabbing one, he walked to a nearby closet and swung it open and began ruffling through the clothes. He grabbed a set of commoner clothes and began to strip the outer layer of his royal clothing and put them on over his undershirt.

"Tanya I'm going to need you to get us to the Neva River. It's a few minutes from our current location." He scoffed as he looked at himself in the mirror, straightening the rugged clothing. "I had one of the few royal families still loyal to the crown stay here in case something like this happened. They were supposed to escort me to the riverside and from there we can take a boat to the church of Tserkov' Svyatoy on the riverside." He brushed his clothing off once more before looking at me, "I'm sure they will give me safe passage to Moskva." Turning to me he smiled, "You know this doesn't fit me too bad, what do you think?"

I looked at him with cold eyes, now was not the time to joke around, "It'll do the job, sir."

He turned back to the mirror and fixed his mustache, "Good, oh and Lady Serebryakov, may need to change as well, I'll get out of your way… But please make it quick." He paused, "They had a little boy so there may be some clothes in the closet that will fit you."

Moving to the other room, he left Viktoriya and I alone. We looked through the closet and managed to find a loose-fitting commoner dress for Viktoriya and a set of old clothing for a boy deep in the closet. She stripped down her royal clothing and I took off my military garb before changing into commoner clothing. I wrapped my rifle in a shirt I found, to conceal it while we traveled. She then looked in the nearby mirror and took her hands and ruffled her hair to make it look more natural.

I looked into the mirror and did the same. Only to come to a striking conclusion that I looked like a boy. The short hair and boy clothing didn't help as well as an underdeveloped body.

"You kinda look like a boy in that."

A brief smile flashed on Viktoriya's face before disappearing just as fast.

I glanced over my shoulder at her, and she shrunk back a bit, "Is that so?"

She stared at the floor as she spoke, "Well uh… I mean, I only meant… "

It seemed my shrewd gaze could still intimidate others. I sighed and leaned into the other room, letting the Tsar know we were done. Hesitating for a moment I turned back to Viktoriya and spoke in a slightly cheery tone, "Don't mention it, I thought the same thing."

I glanced at her as I said that and it seemed to settle her down. I could tell she was just trying to push back the thoughts running through her mind. She has got a lot going on in there, with her father's death, and the communist attacks increasing. It's a lot for a 9-year-old. Though she is resilient, I respect that about her.

The Tsar walked into the room and smiled, "Let's get out of here." Walking to the door he looked at the nearby hat rack and took one-off, placing it on his head. He tucked his pistol in his pocket and swung open the door, the light blinded the three of us for a moment before we all stepped out of the house. Immediately the Tsar began walking down the street with us not far behind him. I had to grab onto Viktoriya's arm to support myself as I walked. Honestly, we looked like two sisters and a father, making their way away from the commotion.

The chaos in the street was immense with citizens either yelling at one another or the few police officers attempting to reign in the situation. Communists, farmers, and artisans were rummaging about trying to make sense of what was going on. We could hear rumors being spread that the Tsar shot on the civilians himself, or that he was dead. Really, we heard any number of theories being tossed about by the masses. It just goes to show how uninformed the population of this country really is.

As we trudged through the chaos in the street each of us kept our heads down. After a few minutes, the Tsar turned down an alleyway. As we followed behind I noticed a few people hanging around the entrance to the alleyway. They glanced at the Tsar as he entered.

I began yelling as we chased after the Tsar, "Wait, stop!"

A moment later a man popped out from around a corner in the middle of the alleyway and as he did I attempted to create a magical barrier in front of the Tsar, but not before the man forced a knife into the Tsar's gut.

The man shouted out, "We got the fucker."

When Viktoriya and I reached the edge of the alleyway, the two men posted by the entrance, grabbed our shoulders tightly and stopped us in place, "Hold on there ladies, this doesn't concern you."

The other man looked down at me and flashed a pistol from underneath his coat, "Stay back if you know what's good for you."

Looking down the alleyway I could see the Tsar collapsed to the ground in a fetal position and a man was savagely kicking him in the gut. Suddenly Viktoriya pushed the man's hand from her shoulder and spoke in a stern voice, "Don't touch me!"

I looked at Viktoriya's face and could see her eyes were filled with an intense hatred of the man. In fact, despite her royal blood, I've never seen her be this authoritative towards another person.

She looked up at the man definitely, "You communists are, all the same, you just murder and… "

The man in front of Viktoryia looked down at her in disbelief before bringing his hand down and striking her across the face, causing her to fall to the ground and grab her face in pain.

The man still holding my shoulder shoved me away, sending me toppling to the ground with a thud. He then turned to look at Viktoriya and begin shouting at her, "Hey bitch, you think you can talk to us like that."

The other man dug his fingers into Viktoriya's shoulder and lifted her up so that she was kneeling in front of him. He sneered at her, "Fucking loyalist dog." He wrapped his hand around Viktoriya's neck and began squeezing.

Viktoriya grabbed onto her neck and began shaking her legs in a vain attempt to escape the man's grasp. Her gasps and choked screams filled the street as onlookers avoided the scene and averted their eyes.

Still laying on the ground I grabbed my rife and unwrapped it. The man holding Viktoriya raised one hand into the air once more before I took aim and a bullet pierced the man's neck, causing him to collapse to the ground.

Viktoriya collapsed to the ground, holding onto her neck. She began coughing as she slumped to her knees.

The man's friend jumped back startled and screamed out, "Fuck." before looking to where the sound came from. Just as he turned to look at me I sent a round into the man's head. Blood splattered on the house behind him as he fell backward, slamming his head on the wall with a cathartic crack before landing on the ground. Holding my breath I steadied my aim and trained my sight on the entrance to the alleyway and waited. A few seconds later the man that had stabbed the Tsar ran out screaming, "Hey, what the fuck happ-" A bullet cut off his the man's sentence as he dropped on top of his friend.

I propped myself up with my rifle and used it as a crutch as I walked over to Viktoriya. Placing a hand on her shoulder I asked, "Are you alright?"

She stood up, holding her hand around her throat. She managed to croak out, "Yeah, I'm fine." She glanced down at the man that had choked her and saw he was still struggling, holding his neck as blood gushed between his fingers.

I pushed Viktoriya onwards into the alley, "Let him bleed, he deserves it."

The Tsar sat up against a wall, holding his lower torso. He was bleeding through his clothes, but still conscious.

In my mind, I took a huge sigh of relief. From what it looked like he had not been stabbed in any important areas, and I believed he would probably live from the wound. This all is under the assumption that we are able to get to the church and get us all some help. Though I am unsure whether he will hold the attack against me. In truth, I could have prevented it if I was more controlled and aware of the Tsar's movements, that lack of judgment, or not wanting to upset the Tsar may have cost me my job or life. On the other hand, he could see it as an unavoidable mishap and I had saved his life.

Shelving my thoughts, I instructed Viktoriya to keep the pressure on the Tsar's wound as we walked and that I would lead us to the boat. The Tsar stood in silence, only grunting as he placed a hand on his wound. Grasping my rifle, I floated in the air slightly, so that I wouldn't be burdened by my leg.

In honesty, the events had caused me to grow rather tired and I didn't want to expend all of my energy so that, if I needed to use a great deal of magic, I could. Though I think at this time, it's rather important that I don't let anything more happen to the Tsar, and if that means I need to expend a little more energy than I planned, then so be it.

Floating higher into the air I looked out over the horizon. Just a few minutes away lays the coastline, and hopefully whatever boat the Tsar had planned to be there. Floating back down I nodded at Viktoriya and the Tsar, giving the go-ahead.

The trip to the coastline was rather uneventful, we got a few looks from citizens. Although, I can't blame them. A floating boy with a rifle followed closely behind a little girl and a Tsar look-alike, bleeding from his stomach. If I didn't know better I'd say God was looking down on us though, luckily I know better. It was coincidental that we didn't meet any more communists. Once we got to the coastline, we walked a bit down before we came upon an abandoned sewer gate.

The Tsar pointed to the gate, "In there, we stashed the boat in there."

Walking up to the gate, I noticed a lock was placed on it.

"The key's kept in-"

Firing a bullet with a bit of magical energy, I exploded the lock and threw open the gates. Flying up I flew to the back of the boat on the inside and pushed it out, causing it to fall onto the sand with a slight crack.

The Tsar looked at me, "Yeah, you can do that too… "

"Lady Viktoriya can you help me with this?"

Before moving to me she looked up to the Tsar to see if he would be fine. He nodded before she moved to help me push the boat into the water. I kept it still as the other two climbed into the boat then pushed the boat into the water.

A few minutes on the river, the Tsar started speaking in a low voice, "You know, Private Degurechaff, I never thanked you for saving my life, on multiple occasions no less."

"Of course sir, I'm only doing my job."

"Even so, thank you. I hope I can find a way to return the favor."

"With all due respect, you can thank me once we're in Moskva sir."

The Tsar nodded and with that, I felt everything was worth it. If we could stave off this revolution for a bit longer the Tsar could toss some money my way and I could live in the Waldstätte Confederacy for the rest of my life. Just the thought of a life of luxury and peace in the neutral country brought a sense of bliss to my mind, certainly the best place to keep a low profile for the coming years, if this world is anything like our own.

We pulled up to the church in what seemed like forever. Slowly I pushed the boat onto the shore and stepped out, using my rifle as a crutch once again. Viktoriya held up the Tsar and we all hobbled our way to the church's door before pushing our way in. The surrounding area hadn't been touched by the chaos near the capital so it was relatively peaceful, a nice change of pace from the previous few hours of my life.

The Tsar called out as we entered the Nave of the grand church, "Bishop! We've made it."

In a moment an older man pushed his way through the back door and began clamoring towards us. Under his breath, he uttered rushed prays to God. It reminded me that I was in a place ordained by Being X, and my skin began to crawl. The uneasiness only grew as the bishop approached us and took the Tsar from Viktoriya's arms.

"Good lord, Imperial Majesty, you're hurt. Quick we'll grab the other bishops and get you healed up." As he walked off, he muttered a few more prayers, leaving Viktoriya and I alone in the Nave. A slid into a pew and placed my rifle next to me, releasing a pent up sigh. Viktoriya moved to sit beside me and rested her head on the back of the pew and closed her eyes. The two of us sat in the peaceful silence of the church.

Silently I glanced over at her. She looked rather beat up, her hair was messy and her clothes were dirty and torn. It was a stark contrast from the previous girl I had known. She seemed more capable than I had previously thought. Perhaps one day she'd come into her own. Though it's hard to not feel bad for the girl. She lost everything in the failed attempt on the Tsar's life. Her family's gone and her noble status won't take her very far in the current state the nation finds itself in.

Viktoriya's eyes shot open as she glanced over at me, catching me staring at her. I quickly glanced away and spoke up, "You look hurt."

She looked down at herself and spoke in a muted tone, "Oh, I suppose I am." She paused for a moment before continuing, "Thanks for noticing."

I cleared my throat and stood up, grabbing my rifle, "C'mon, let's go see those bishops, they probably have something to help us."

Viktoriya stood up and nodded, "Do you need any help, your leg is still hurt?"

As I opened my mouth to tell her no, she wrapped her arm around my side and threw my arm over her shoulder. She was a bit taller than me so it was a little uncomfortable but, I can't say it didn't feel good to have the pressure taken off of my leg. I begrudgingly walked with her and pushed our way into the back room of the church.

The Tsar was on his back, resting on a table as the bishops surrounded him, cleaning off his wounds. It seemed they had already stitched up his knife wound and were cleaning it off. He gritted his teeth as they whipped him down with what I assumed were alcohol wipes to disinfect the wounds. After a few minutes, they wrapped his wound with a clean bandage and brought out some clean clothes for him.

They started fixing Viktoriya and I up afterward. Viktoriya seemed fine and didn't have very many problems, just a few cuts, and scratches from running around. The wound on my leg proved to be much more of a problem. They sliced off the belt and peeled off the dirty bandages surrounding the gunshot wound. They cleaned the wound with alcohol, causing my teeth to grit as I grunted in pain. Afterward, they used tweezers to pick the bullet out of my leg.

"Ah, fuck be careful."

The bishop looked up at me, "Just be patient sister, God has blessed you, your wound could have been much worse."

A laugh bubbled its way up before being caught in my throat. The thought of being blessed was a laughable concept if anything I was cursed.

Another wave of pain sent my thoughts spiraling as the bishop produced a bullet from my leg and placed it beside him. Seeming satisfied with his work he wiped the wound once more and began stitching it up before wrapping a white bandage tightly around it.

He stood up and looked down at me, "Try not to move around too much but, I know with the current circumstances that may be hard to follow." He placed his hand in his pocket and gingerly placed a small wooden object in my hand. "If you ever need help, show this to a nearby church, they'll know who it belongs to.

Inspecting it I could see that it opened similar to a locket and had two painted icons in it. With what I assumed were the bishop's initials carved into it. I tucked it into my pocket and nodded, "Thank you bishop."

He smiled, "Thank God, not me. Through him all is possible."

It was almost like getting shot in the leg again. Knowing that Being X is looking down on me as I get help from his followers. It was almost a deep humiliation but knowing he somehow pulled the strings for me to end up here softened the blow.

Some fresh clothes were placed out for me and Viktoriya that we put on in another room. Emerging back in the room the bishops were talking with the Tsar, formulating a plan to get him to Moskva quickly and safely. As I walked closer, I could hear their conversation.

"No, no, a carriage would take too long, and, considering the recent attacks it would be too risky to cross the countryside. You'd be too exposed to ambushes."

The Tsar stroked his chin thoughtfully before sighing. As he caught eye of me approaching he turned and asked, "Degurechaff, how would you transport us to Moskva?"

I joined the ground and leaned against the wall to take some weight off my leg, "Well, your Imperial Majesty, I would go by train."

The bishops all shook their heads, "Too dangerous, they would be prime targets for attack. The first thing the communists will want to do is disrupt our supply lines."

Another bishop continued, "They wouldn't attack a group of priests, send the Tsar out disguised as one of us and we can send him to the city."

Raising my hand a bit I spoke in a stern voice, "Sorry to interrupt but the Tsar is needed in Moskva as soon as possible to handle the current situation. The longer he is not present the worse this situation is going to get. A train is the fastest way we can get there."

A bishop shook his head, "No, no, we cannot put the Tsar in danger like that in good faith."

I continued, "If the communists are smart." I paused for a moment, "Well, smart wouldn't be a correct word but, I digress." I stepped off the wall and took a step to the Tsar, "They can't attack the rail lines, they are the only ways to transport supplies across the nation and, if they plan on doing anything more than just being a thorn in our side, they can't afford to destroy the trains. If anything they'll need them later."

The Tsar looked at me thoughtfully, "Degurechaff, what do you mean by later?"

I paused for a moment, taken back. Surely he could have seen the inevitable outcome of the increased violence. I then continued, "I think it's entirely possible that the communists will plan a coup on you, Your Majesty. If they do so they'll need to take the train lines." I paused to look over at the bishops, "Though, I believe they are too disorganized to act on their own, with the recent exile of Vladimir. Though I don't believe that will last as such, we should act quickly and decisively."

The Tsar nodded, "Very well Private Degurechaff, we'll put the plan into motion but, I want you with me."

"Of course."

The Tsar turned to the bishops, "You heard her, we will be taking a train. Are any of you aware when the next train is leaving for Moskva?"

One bishop nodded, "Yes, but it's not for a while. Because of the fighting, it has been delayed but, I'm confident that later tonight it will be departing. I will have my priests keep an eye out for any news. Until then, you all should rest here. You all still need to heal up."

The Tsar nodded, "Do you have rooms available?"

The lead bishop nodded, leading us to a door, leading to the basement, "Of course, we need to be stocked up for the people of the city."

Descending the stairs we all emerged into a dimly lit hallway with several rooms. The priest opened a door for the Tsar, "I'm sorry this is the best room we have, I wish we had something better for you, Your Majesty."

The Tsar waved his hand before entering the room, "Please, I should thank you for all you have done already. Just, wake me when you have news on the train."

The Bishop nodded, "Of course."

He then moved over to another door and opened it for us, "Here you two can stay inside here."

I nodded before silently entering the room though as I did so the bishop spoke up from behind me, "Excuse me, ma'am, if it's not too personal, how old are you."

Stopping in my tracks I looked back at the bishop, "Does my age bother you, Father?"

He just looked at me for a moment in silence, "It's just… Children shouldn't be fighting, I don't think the lord would wish that."

I attempted to stop a malice grin from etching itself on my face, "Perhaps, or perhaps God placed me exactly where he wanted me."

Without waiting for a response I entered my room and heard the door behind me close as Viktoriya walked into the room.

I plopped myself on the bed and layed on my back. Dropping my rifle beside me I stared up at the ceiling and took a deep breath. It felt good to lay down somewhere safe for once, somewhere I could finally rest. I knew this kind of thing would happen but, I didn't think the revolution would start this early. I rolled to my side and stared at the door, trying to formulate a plan to get out of the situation I had gotten myself into. I mean there was always the option for desertion after getting my reward from the Tsar, but that would leave a target on me for the foreseeable future. I'd be hunted by both the loyalist and communist movements.

Suddenly my thoughts were interrupted by Viktoriya, as she spoke up, "Are you okay?"

Rolling over I looked at Viktoriya sitting on the bed across from mine. I sat up in bed and nodded, "Yes, I'm fine."

She nodded in relief, "Because I hadn't had the chance to really ask until now, you know with everything that's happened recently."

She dropped her head before a haunting silence crept into the room, one that permeated every area of the room. I knew she was fishing for it but I asked anyway, "Are you okay?"

Viktoriya looked up at me rather surprised, "I uh… I don't know." She began twiddling her thumbs as she spoke, "I think I'm acting like I'm fine."

I was taken back by the response and at that moment I could see tears polling in her eyes before they split over and began running down her face. It was oddly silent for the circumstances and I sat there unsure of what to do, or if I could even do anything. I'm not prepared or used to dealing with people's emotions, even in my own world after I fired someone I didn't have to deal with those emotions, they would scream or cry but in the end, I was always professional and acted according to the rules of the company. Yet, now there were no guidelines to deal with this, and, I would have to deal with this for the foreseeable future. If I abandoned her it would seem as if I was heartless, and while not a particularly terrible outcome it would reflect badly on me to the Tsar who from what I could tell was a rather sensitive person.

I took a deep breath and stood up before walking over to her side of the bed. I sat down and placed an arm around her shoulder, drawing her near me. She wrapped her arms around me and began crying into my shoulder. Sitting there I stared at the wall, choosing not to say anything. Not that I knew what to say anyways. I began rationalizing my actions.

She showed she was capable today, and that if even for a moment I saw a fighting spirit in her I had not seen before. Perhaps with a bit of time and training, she would make a good assistant, I mean she did promise me the perfect cup of coffee, and that's an offer I can't readily give up.

I was awoken by the creaking of a door opening. A bishop peaked his head inside and spoke softly, "Hey, the Tsar is asking for you. You are to depart in a few minutes."

Grunting I moved to sit up, finding Viktoriya's arm still around me. Sighing I moved her arm off of me and stood up from the bed. I shook her awake saying, "Hey Viktoriya, we need to get up, we're leaving."

Groggily she opened up her eyes and grunted as she sat up. In a strained voice, she spoke quietly, "I'm up."

Slinging my rifle over my shoulder I pushed open the door, "I'll meet you upstairs."

Walking into the Nave of the church I saw the Tsar and the bishops talking amongst themselves. Seeing me they changed up the topic of discussion as a bishop spoke, "Good you're awake. You're all to leave in a few minutes. The train is departing just before sunset, so if you leave now you can all make it."

The Tsar nodded at the Bishop, "You all have my eternal thanks, be sure that I will reward you all in the future."

The bishops all shook their heads and spoke almost in unison, "No, thank God, not us."

The Tsar nodded and looked to me, "Are you and Miss Serebryakov ready to leave?"

Almost on cue Viktoriya stepped into the Nave and nodded, "We're ready."

The Tsar smiled as he looked to the bishops, "Good, then we're off."

The train arrived into the nearly empty station a few minutes late, though that's to be expected. It seemed that most people were still wary of the fighting going on in the city. Though most of it had died down, there were still small skirmishes in the streets from time to time. It seemed with the disappearance of the Tsar and the destruction of the Winter Palace, the people had nowhere to direct their anger.

We each stood there in cloaks and peasant clothes to hide our faces, and for good measure rubbed a little dirt on our faces and clothes to look the part. We got a couple of weird looks from the people, some might have thought they saw the Tsar but, thought against it I'd imagine. It was actually a pleasant walk over. Well, as pleasant as it could have been, my leg still bothered me the whole way there, but without pain killers, I'd say I'm doing good.

The train door swung open and a sheepish man stepped out, directing us into the cabin. As we stepped on we offered our tickets to the man and then took our seats at the back of the train car. The Tsar kept his back to the rest of the train car as Viktoriya and I kept an eye on the rest of the car. Only a couple of other people were in the car with us and, I could tell they were no threat. They looked to be a couple that was part of the middle class.

After a few minutes, the train engine heaved and whistled, causing the car to lurch forward a bit before the train began towards Moskva. The droning sound of the wheels relaxed me and I found myself sliding further down into my seat. The Whole ride there each of us sat in silence.

**Authors Note:**

* * *

Hey, everyone, this chapter is a little or a lot overdue by a few months. Yet, I'm finally able to start writing again and hopefully more regularly. If you want a full update on why I was gone for so long I put an update on my profile which is here: ~passivecube

I want to thank everyone for sticking with me through this turbulent and busy time in my life and thank each of you for reading my story. It really means a lot to me, because I didn't expect this to get nearly as popular as it has I just did it for fun.


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